The cycling champions from the heart of the Vosges

faire du vélo

It is on the circuits in and around Épinal, in the heart of the Vosges, that our cycling champions were able to develop their talent...

Mountain biking, Cyclocross, Road Biking and most disciplines have champions from our county. They were able to develop their talents thanks to our facilities and in the privileged environment of Épinal, in the heart of the Vosges. Discover their story as well as their awards which allowed them to obtain their titles.

Julien and Rémy ABSALON

Two Brothers Made in the Vosges

A native of Remiremont, like his brother Rémy, Julien is our Olympic Champion and our reigning World Champion! He is the specialist in cross country mountain biking. In this domain he has won numerous titles, in particular between 2003 and 2016, including being Olympic Champion twice. Moreover, he has been World Champion five times and has been crowned French Champion fourteen times. These victories have made Julien Absalon the most successful cyclist ever in cross-country mountain biking. The new generation has arrived on the field but Julien trains with passion and has not yet said his last word.

Rémy specializes in Enduro and marathon downhill mountain biking. When he was young, he began by following in his brother’s footstep and took part in the competition Trophée Français des Jeunes Vététistes. Since then, he has specialized in Enduro and has won several titles in this field, between 2005 and 2016, particularly at the European Downhill Marathon Cup.

Christophe BETARD

Christophe BETARD was born in Épinal in 1984. He specializes in the field of XTerra Triathlon which is a three sport race which includes swimming, mountain biking and trail running. Christophe started cycling at the age of 14 with a club in Épinal. At the age of 16, he became the champion of the Vosges in his category and in 2012, he won his first title as champion of Lorraine in mountain biking. He recently won the Hawaii Amateur World Championship. He has since moved into the pro category.

The BOUHANNI brothers

Rayane and Nacer BOUHANNI were both born in Épinal.

Nacer is a member of the Cofidis cycling team. He won the title of top athlete in 2007 after been selected to cycle with the French team in the junior category. In 2012, he won the Champion of France for the first time. Since then, he has joined the Cofidis team and won the title of the UCI Europe Tour in 2015. He has participated several times in the Tour de France.

Rayane is also a member of the Cofidis team in the field of road cycling. In 2014, he participated in the Junior Nations Cup where he finished second. In August of the same year, he became the French Champion in the junior category.

Steve CHAINEL

Steve CHAINEL was born in Remiremont in 1983. He developed his career in the cyclo-cross category where he was a professional from 2007 to 2015. He won the title French Champion three times in cyclo-cross, and was fourth in the World Championship in this discipline. In early 2018, he won the French Championship in cyclo-cross.

Lucie LEFEVRE CHAINEL

Lucie LEFEVRE CHAINEL was born in Montbéliard in 1983. She developed her career as a specialist in the field of cyclo-cross where she was vice-champion of Europe in 2011, then Champion of France in 2012 and 2013. She received a bronze medal at the European Championship and at the World Championship in 2013. Lucie also won the French Cup in 2011, 2012 and 2017. She was also vice-champion of France and came 17th in the overall ranking of the 2013 World Cup in the mountain bike category

Today, Lucie uses her high-level talents by working as a sports and personal coach. She helps people with diet plans, going back to sports, keeping fit and improving their performance. As a coach, she works with the Wellness625 application which involves performing 625 minutes of activity per month for the well-being of one’s physical and mental health.

The NAZON Brothers

Jean-Patrick and Damien Nazon are two brothers born in Épinal.

Jean-Patrick was a professional rider in the road cycling category from 1997 to 2008. He competed in the Tour de France in 2003, then started triathlon in 2009 and finished among the top 150 riders in the Ironman in Nice.

Damien Nazon has also been a professional racer in road cycling. He lived his strongest moments between 1996 and 2005 when he won many titles.